While we imagined we were living off fat of land, we were really living off larder of my father: Once or twice a day we'd go to house, a mere quarter mile away, share a meal with my family, and stock up on chips, snacks and thermosfuls of sweet iced-tea. On Sunday mornings we would breakfast at house for Sunday was day that my father ventured into kitchen to make a batch of his famous (at least among Allen clan) biscuits-and-sausage-gravy.

It was one of these Sunday mornings that great bear hunting incident took place.

We woke early one morning and set upon task of fishing. If we were lucky we could catch a few fish before going on up to house for breakfast. It was a peaceful day and we were enjoying silence until we were disturbed by clamor of something moving in woods. Quiet at first but increasingly louder, raucous noise quickly proved to be nothing than my younger sister, all of seven, traipsing loudly down trail from house.

"Keep it down, will you, we're fishing!" I yelled.

"Fine," she said, sticking her tongue out at two of us. "Then I won't tell you that Dad said breakfast is ready." And she turned and tromped back up trail louder than before.

As soon as she was gone, Shane and I eagerly started winding our reels in. Both our stomach's were growling at thought of meal to come. Just as we we're setting our poles next to tent, we heard a scream that was obviously Michelle. Shane and I ran down path, towards noise, going just a short distance before seeing my sister who was tearing back down path towards us.

So that everyone can benefit, I'm going to tell you like I tell all those people who call & write: You can get out of this "doing everything" trap and get a lot more done in process. Here's how:

1. YOU CAN'T DO EVERYTHING ANYWAY

Face it: If you could do everything, none of rest of us would have to worry about anything, would we? Truth is that there's always much more to be done than there is time to do it.

When you realize that you're not going to get it all done by yourself it gets a whole lot easier to do what work you do have to do.

2. JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT TO DO DOESN'T MEAN IT ALL NEEDS DOING

Closely examine stuff on your "to do" or projects list. Some of it just doesn't need doing. Not now at any rate. And in some cases, not ever.

Don't believe me? Put it at bottom of list and leave it there for a while. You'll see.

3. SAY "NO" MORE THAN YOU SAY "YES"